While there has been considerable success in decreasing overall cancer mortality rates through improved and earlier screening, there is a need for more sophisticated, targeted therapies that are able to specifically and effectively destroy cancer cells.
LICR believes that clinical research in cancer cannot be undertaken as simply product development, but rather requires a systematic, academic approach to develop rational therapeutic strategies in the only setting that really counts: the cancer patient.
LICR is one of the few academic organizations, anywhere in the world, that plans, conducts, administers, and sponsors its own clinical trials as part of its technology development process (see A Non-Profit Biotech). This process allows basic investigations to continue into early stage clinical evaluation of a new therapy, and makes the clinic an essential arm of the research enterprise. LICR is currently exploring five therapeutic modalities.
- Cancer Vaccines- are intended to harness the body's immune system to destroy cancer cells
- Targeted Antibodies- attach to cancer cells to deliver toxic materials or to deliver radioisotopes for diagnosis
- Enzymatic Depletion- deprive cancer cells of enzymes required for tumor growth and survival
- Small Molecule Inhibitors- block the activity of specific molecules required for cancer cell growth and survival
- siRNAs- are intended to interfere with the production of a protein required for cancer cell growth and survival
Clinical trial strategies and operations—including clinical protocol development and study implementation, investigational agent management, regulatory and ethical compliance, data collection and all related documentation—are the responsibility of the LICR Office of Clinical Trials Management.
